What Polarizing filter would you recommend?

[harmonn2]

Looking into purchasing one, and possibly another as a gift. Any particular brand you would pick over another? Also, would you recommend using the same one for both a wide angled lens and a telephoto lens, or getting different ones?

Thanks!

 

[Josh66]

All of my filters are B+W. Excellent filters.

The "Slim" filters for wide angle lenses will work just as well on any other lens, but two things to consider - they don't have threads on the front (you cannot put another filter on top of it), and because they are thinner they can be harder to remove (less surface area for your fingertips to grab onto).

 

[hirejn]

I use mainly Tiffen and Moose. Hoya and BW are good, and I think ProMaster makes them. Stick with a name brand and you'll be OK. What's more important is knowing when and how to use it. Nobody will look at your images and guess which brand you used. I don't stack filters so the slim doesn't matter too much. It's nice, but if you can use a regular without vignetting, why spend the extra money?

 

[tirediron]

I use mainly Tiffen and Moose. Hoya and BW are good, and I think ProMaster makes them. Stick with a name brand and you'll be OK. What's more important is knowing when and how to use it. Nobody will look at your images and guess which brand you used. I don't stack filters so the slim doesn't matter too much. It's nice, but if you can use a regular without vignetting, why spend the extra money?

No, no I can assure you, Promaster does NOT make B+W filters. I believe that some Promaster filters may be re-branded Hoya filters, but AFAIK, Promaster doesn't actually make anything. They buy great lashings of relatively cheap equipment and put their own name on it.

 

[KmH]

Or - " and I think ProMaster also makes CPL filters" - is what was meant.

+47 for B+W filters. Get 1, really good big one, and then use step rings so it can be used on lenses that have smaller filter thread diameters.

B+W 77mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating
Top Brand Step Up Ring 58-77mm Lens Filter Size Adapter

 

[Trever1t]

A good CPL will be hurting the wallet. A gift of one...can we be friends?

I have the thin K'MAN B+W CPL, was almost $200. I use it rarely but when I do it makes a lovely difference. Downside is the thin one can't accept a lens cap.

 

[480sparky43 42]

.........
+47 for B+W filters. Get 1, really good big one, and then use step rings so it can be used on lenses that have smaller filter thread diameters.

X infinity. Do a little dreaming and create your own ideal lens kit. Take the largest filter size out of all your dream lenses and get that size B+W thin CPL. Thin for when you get that ultra-wide 10mm.

 

[Josh66]

The only thing I hate about having one filter size and using step-up rings is that you can only use the lens hood when you're using the lenses that don't need the step-up rings...

I too bought all of my filters in the largest size I needed... I am slowly buying duplicates of all of them in smaller sizes so I don't have to mess around with step-up rings.

Thin for when you get that ultra-wide 10mm.

Assuming that the filter was larger than required and you were using step-up rings, the filter thickness would probably not be a factor.

 

[KmH]

Some UWA lenses will not accept filters of any kind because the front lens element projects beyond the lens body.

 

[tirediron]

Or - " and I think ProMaster also makes CPL filters" - is what was meant.

+47 for B+W filters. Get 1, really good big one, and then use step rings so it can be used on lenses that have smaller filter thread diameters.

B+W 77mm Kaesemann Circular Polarizer with Multi-Resistant Coating
Top Brand Step Up Ring 58-77mm Lens Filter Size Adapter

Ahhh, good point Keith. If that was your intent hirejn, my apologies!

 

[480sparky43 42]

.....

Assuming that the filter was larger than required and you were using step-up rings, the filter thickness would probably not be a factor.

It's usually at the extreme ends of the focal length field will you find the need for large-diameter filters. I can't think of many 28, 35, 50, 85 or 105mm lenses that use 77 or 82mm filters. But once you get into the ultra-wide arena, larger filters are generally the norm.

Unless, of course, you have an 800mm f/4 that takes 120mm filters on the front end. But few of us have this problem.

 

[Trever1t]

Nikon and Sigma for Nikon 85's are 77mm The Trinity 17-35, 24-70 and 70-200 are also 77mm